The relevance of geomorphology and structural geology in the search for habitable environments

This seminar is part of the EAI on-line seminars

by Barbara De Toffoli, Institute of Planetary Research , DLR, Germany

15 FEBRUARY 2022, 16:00 CET

The application of geological disciplines to the study of planetary bodies beyond Earth, especially geomorphology and structural geology, can pave the way for the search for habitable environments. These fields investigate the origin and evolution of landforms and terrains by seeking to understand the events and dynamics that shaped them. This presentation will focus on Mars, whose relevance to the search for life is undoubted. Through the imagery datasets collected by Martian space missions, we are able to explore surface geological features that were closely intertwined with the presence of water and thus are good candidate habitats to host life in the geological past. Ultimately, we will also be able to explore geologic features that expand kilometers below the surface. We will reveal potentially habitable environments that are buried much deeper than the reach of our present-day technology.